


Give Me One Reason

by SometimesAnAries



Series: Learning As We Go [8]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Choking, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, It must be all of that water she drinks, Jealousy, M/M, Manipulation, OC is more aggressive than I intended, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Rough Sex, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:14:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22795357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SometimesAnAries/pseuds/SometimesAnAries
Summary: Tom decides to get revengeA line is crossedSerina retaliatesNothing goes as planned
Relationships: Tom Riddle/Original Female Character(s), Walden Macnair/Evan Rosier
Series: Learning As We Go [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1584997
Kudos: 21





	Give Me One Reason

Tom was irritated. He had been for weeks, and his attitude showed no signs of changing for the better. Ever since he had seen Serina with that girl, his mood had gone sour. What made it worse was that she was back to giving him that disinterested stare that she wore so well. He hadn't seen that look in her eyes since before they started dating back at Hogwarts, and he had hoped to never see it again. She looked at him as if he wasn't worth her time. He was a gnat that didn't warrant so much as a second glance. No. Even a gnat would gain a look of frustration after buzzing around one's head long enough. He didn't even get that from her.

His irritation bled out into his work. His Knights took the brunt of it, and were all walking on eggshells around him. Had he not been so bloody bothered by the girl, he would have reveled in the fact that his men were so terrified of him right now. He wasn't even able to enjoy it, though. All he could think about was Serina. She was ruining his day to day life and she wasn't even trying to. He had to find a way to get back at her, find a way to make her feel what he was feeling. It was the only way he could get out of this sour mood, and back to his normal self. He needed to enact revenge.

* * *

"You're home early," McNair stated, watching as Serina closed the door behind her. 

"We finished practice early," she responded, kicking off her shoes.

Serina walked through the living room and into the kitchen, not sparing a glance at the occupants of the room. She could feel the anger rolling off of Tom in waves as she passed, and she could tell the other two weren't comfortable in their seats. She felt bad for her cousin and Evan. They didn't deserve Tom's anger. She could honestly care less about how Tom felt. It was obvious that he had been jealous of Eva ever since he first saw her, and it was obvious he was dwelling on it. For as stoic as Tom was, Serina was amazed at how glaringly open he could be under the right circumstances.

Standing in the archway between the two rooms, Serina leaned against the frame, a glass of water in hand.

"What's for dinner?" she asked nobody in particular.

"I was thinking tacos," Walden responded, turning his gaze to her.

Serina nodded approvingly, "Tacos sound good. Do we have everything for tacos?"

"I believe so," he said, "You can double check me if you'd like."

Serina lifted off of the door frame, and walked back into the room.

"I trust you," she said casually, "You're the one that'll have to make a run to the store if you're wrong. Let me know when dinner's ready, will you?"

Making her way through the room, Serina climbed the staircase, leaving the three men alone once again. McNair cleared his throat, and cautiously fixed his eyes on Tom.

"Will you be staying for dinner this evening, My Lord?" he asked quietly.

"No," Tom practically growled out.

Just the simple word caused Walden to flinch. He tensed when Tom stood, and walked out the door without another word.

Yes, Tom was absolutely seething.

* * *

"I am not ok with this," Rosier spat, fixing an angry glare at his boss's back.

"I didn't ask you to be," Tom responded with a smirk, not caring whether or not the other man saw it.

"Do you think you're being funny?" Rosier asked, "Is this some kind of joke to you?"

"Does it look like I am laughing, Rosier?" Tom responded, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Either way, it's not fucking funny," he growled, "He is not allowed in my bloody house. I have a say in this, and I say no."

"You do not have a say in this," Tom said firmly, turning his head slightly to glare back at Rosier, "This is a meeting of the Knights of Walpurgis, and all of my Knights are to be in attendance. It does not matter to me that you do not like one of them."

Evan Rosier followed closely behind Tom Riddle, who was walking a swift pace down the street in the direction of the house he had been using for the past two months. Tom had made it clear that he was not going to listen to his follower's request, but Evan was not letting that stop him. He was going to be heard, whether Tom liked it or not.

"You know damn well I'm not the one that's going to have a problem with this," Rosier hissed, "You're opening old wounds for no reason."

That caused Tom to stop in his tracks. Rosier had to take a quick step to the right to not plow right into him.

"Old wounds?" Tom asked, all amusement gone from his voice, "You haven't any idea what you're talking about, Rosier. You need to learn to watch your tongue."

"I know damn well what I'm talking about," Rosier growled, not cowering before his boss's threat, "You act as if you get angry enough the past will cease to exist, but it will not. I witnessed the fallout from both sides. I've watched the wounds be torn open and slowly stitched back together. I am telling you that if you reopen this wound it will never heal the same again. You are going. Too. Far."

Rosier had absolutely no time to react. Tom's wand was pressed to his throat before the last word had escaped his lips. He was frozen under the man's wrath, waiting with baited breath for Tom's next move.

"I will do as I please, how I please, when I please," Tom hissed quietly, his eyes burning holes into the other's, "I don't give a shit what you've witnessed, or what you expect to happen. This is my decision, and my decision is final."

Tom turned on his heel and walked away, climbing the small staircase and disappearing behind the front door with a bang. 

Evan Rosier stayed planted to the spot, willing his heart to calm down so it didn't explode out of his chest. He had never been afraid of challenging Tom. It wasn't very often he got his way when he did, but that never stopped him. Other than a scolding, and maybe a bit of humiliation, nothing else ever came from his snarky remarks. Tom usually put up with them to a point, only shooting him down when he'd had enough. Never before had Tom threatened him outright. Never before had Tom pulled his wand on him. Rosier had never seen Tom's wand up close. Now that he had, now that it had been pressed to his skin, he was wondering why he had ever challenged the man before. 

Now, all he could do was go inside his house, and hope this disaster didn't play out the way he was expecting it to.

* * *

Serina apparated to her front yard, taking a moment to stretch her arms above her head before walking to the door. She climbed the stairs and unlocked the front door, pushing it open. It was louder inside than she expected, and a quick scan of the room showed her there were more people present than usual. Usually, the meetings were small and intimate, with no more than six or seven present, herself included. There had to be at least ten people seated in her living room right now, and Serina silently wondered what the occasion was.

She kicked off her shoes, and walked through the living room to the kitchen. The realization of one person present made her heart flutter, and almost made her falter in her steps, but she kept moving as she walked past him. Had she come across Augustus Rookwood on the streets, or at the store, she probably wouldn't think anything of it. She didn't hate the man. She didn't like him, by any means, but she wouldn't go so far as to say she hated him. 

Under different circumstances, seeing him wouldn't bother her. The fact that he was making himself comfortable in her living room was a different story. There was no doubt in Serina's mind that he was only here because Tom thought it would get under her skin. He was right, it was getting under her skin, but she wasn't about to let him see that. 

Tom was focused on Malfoy, explaining something to him that Serina didn't care enough to listen to as she disappeared into the kitchen. She took a few extra minutes in there, sipping her glass of water and willing her face to remain blank. When she exited the kitchen, she had planned to make a beeline to the staircase. She would go upstairs, take a long hot shower, and hope everyone was gone by the time she got out. That was the plan, anyways. In reality, she only made it a few steps into the living room before she was stopped.

"Serina, right?" Rookwood addressed her as she passed him.

Serina took in a deep breath and turned around to face him, "Yea."

"Awesome," he smiled, "I was worried I was going to get the name wrong. You live here?"

It took everything in her power to not respond with 'Obviously'. Instead she nodded and responded, "Yea."

"I'm sorry we're taking up so much space," he gestured to the other men in the room, "Why don't you come have a seat?"

When he patted his thigh, gesturing for her to sit in his lap, Serina wasn't able to hide the surprise on her face. Her brows shot up, and she gave him a smile that wasn't meant to say she was happy in any way. He didn't take the look the way she had intended, and instead he smiled back and shot her a wink.

"No thank you," she turned the offer down.

He gave her a pout that made her want to punch his face in. She didn't punch his face in. Instead, she sauntered over to him, stopping behind his chair and placing her forearms on his shoulders. Her glass of water rested in her left hand, her wand in her right. She shimmied forward until her chest was resting on the back of his head. He leaned back into her warmth, tilting his head back to look up at her.

"Would you like to see this cool trick I just learned?" she asked, smirking down at him.

"I'd love to," he purred, smiling up at her.

Serina nodded her head in the direction of the glass in her hand, silently telling him to focus on that. He did, obediently watching as she began twirling the glass of water, the liquid almost breaching the edges, but managing to not spill over the sides. She felt a few more pairs of eyes on her, but kept her focus on the man underneath her.

"Obviously, this is just a glass of water," she said, "but if I do this," Serina tapped the side of the glass with her wand, "it begins to freeze."

Shards of ice began weaving their way through the liquid. Serina kept twirling the glass, not allowing the water to go still and freeze completely.

"I have to keep moving it," she told him, "That way it turns into this slush that is always trying to freeze over. It's in this state of limbo, unsure if it's a solid or liquid, and any change will cause it to completely freeze, and rather quickly at that. Cool, huh?"

"That's really cool," he grinned, snuggling back into her chest to feel her warmth.

"Do you want to know what's even cooler?" she asked, her lips brushing his ear.

When he nodded, Serina straightened her back and took a step away from his chair.

"This," she said as she dumped the glass of slush on his head.

The slush covered the top of his head and ran down the sides, a few streams running down his face and over his eyes. Just as she said it would, it froze over almost instantly. As he jerked away, the ice cracked and dug into his skin, causing him to bleed where it pressed into the more sensitive skin.

"Fuck!" he cursed, struggling to rip the ice from his skin and relieve a bit of the pain it was causing him.

Serina turned back towards the staircase, continuing her original plan to go upstairs. Stopping in her tracks just a few steps away, she realized she wasn't finished just yet.

"Bloody hell," she sighed, "I forgot the punchline of this joke."

Turning her gaze to Tom, who was now watching her intently, she cocked back her arm and flung the empty glass at his head. He blocked it, the glass shattering against his shield. The shocked look on his face told Serina that this was not how he had expected this to play out. She shot him a smug look before turning her attention back to the staircase. Once again, she was stopped before she could reach it.

"Fucking bitch!" Rookwood shouted, drawing his wand.

Serina whipped around and pointed her own wand at him, but before she could cast a spell, her wand arm was wrenched back by a strong hand, her other arm following shortly after. Powerful arms wrapped around her shoulders and held her arms out. She was pressed to a firm chest as she struggled to break free. 

Rookwood's wand was expelled from his grasp not long after, but that didn't stop him from advancing on her. He didn't try attacking her, knowing there was no point with her restrained, but that didn't stop him from trying to grate at her nerves.

"That wasn't funny," he spat, "You're shit at making jokes, just like you're shit at keeping…"

He didn't get the chance to finish his sentence, as Serina lifted her leg and kicked out, her foot making contact with his kneecap. The bone crunched under the impact and his joint bent backwards in an unnatural angle. Rookwood tumbled to the ground, clamping a hand onto his leg and howled in agony.

"Fuck that felt good," Serina laughed, struggling against the body behind her, "Come here so I can feel more of your bones break."

"Serina," Rosier hissed in her ear.

So that was who was holding her back.

"Stop," he ordered her.

She didn't stop. Serina struggled and flailed in his grasp, anything to get free. Twisting her body just the right way, she was able to free an arm. That was all she needed to wrench her other arm free as well, and leap on the man still howling on the ground. She planted her knee in his chest, just below his sternum. She placed one hand on his neck, and cocked her other arm back. She swung hard, planting her fist into his jaw. His head jerked to the side at the impact, and momentarily, he shut up. When his head lolled back to the center, Serina swung again, feeling his jawbone give out and crack under her knuckles. She buried her fingers in his hair, lifting his head up and slamming it back down onto the floor with a thud. When she lifted his head again, her fingers were wrenched free and she was unable to finish the action of slamming his head into the ground. She was being pulled off of him before she could continue her assault, strong arms lifting her up and off the ground.

"That's enough!" Tom shouted, silencing everyone in the room, and gaining Serina's attention.

She fixed him with an angry glare, one that made him freeze on the spot. He had been wanting her to pay attention to him for weeks, and now that she was, he was regretting it. He would have taken the disinterest over the fury that was burning in her eyes.

"Is it?" she shouted back, "Sorry, I have a problem knowing where the fucking line is, and when not to cross it!"

The stab pierced Tom's chest, and made him feel guilty. It pissed him off. He was furious at the fact that she could make him feel this way. That she could make him feel. Nobody else could do that to him. Nobody else had that power, and here she was using it without even realizing it.

"Get out," he ordered, "Everyone. Out. Now!"

The crowd scrambled to leave, not wanting to stick around and witness their boss's wrath. Rookwood attempted to stand, but with his damaged knee and the blows to his head disorienting him, that was no easy task.

"You too," Tom pointed at Rosier, who was still holding Serina back, "and take him with you."

Rosier slowly released Serina, making sure she wasn't about to leap back onto the injured man. When he decided it was safe, Rosier stepped past Serina and hooked one of Rookwood's arms over his shoulder. He lifted the man, who groaned in protest, and dragged him out the front door, leaving Serina and Tom alone in the living room.

"We need to t…" Tom started, only to be cut off.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Serina spat.

"I have every right…" Tom tried again.

"You have absolutely no right!" she shouted, "You have no right coming in here and ordering anybody around. You have no right making Walden or Evan uncomfortable in their own home. And you have no right to bring that man in here without my fucking permission!"

"Rookwood is a Kn…" Tom tried explaining.

"He is not allowed in my fucking house!" Serina cut him off angrily, "How dare you even assume this would be ok. I took you for a man with some fucking brains, but if this is how you think, bloody hell have the years been bad to you."

"At least now you're paying attention to me instead of walking right by me like I'm some fucking inanimate object!" Tom shouted back, having enough of her screaming.

"So that's what this is about," she let out a bark of laughter, "You're mad because I'm not paying attention to you? Here I thought you were jealous because I'm fucking somebody else."

"I am jealous," he growled, taking a large step towards her and invading her personal space, "I'm jealous that you're fucking somebody else. I'm also jealous that you look at her the way you used to look at me. I'm jealous that you don't even give me the time of day, but she gets every second of your time when she's around."

"Why would I give you the time of day?" she asked, throwing her hands out, "What makes you think you're so bloody important that I need to focus all of my energy on you?"

"Because you are occupying every fucking corner of my mind right now," he snapped.

Tom took another step towards her, causing Serina to take a step back to keep him from being uncomfortably close to her. He matched her, step for step, until her back hit the wall, and he caged her in with his arms.

"You're on my mind every second I am awake," he hissed, "When I sleep you occupy my dreams. I have nightmares about you leaving me, about you moving on and forgetting I exist. When my mind wanders I think of what you're doing, and wonder if you're letting her claim you, mark you, fuck you. I wonder if you scream her name when you cum. It infuriates me to think about somebody taking what is mine."

"I am not yours anymore," Serina spat, but it didn't have the bite that she wanted it to.

"Yet here you are, getting jealous over Rookwood," Tom smirked.

"I have no reason to be jealous of Rookwood," she growled, "All he did was exploit your weakness. That's not why I attacked him. I attacked him so I could see the look on your face when the light left his fucking eyes. I wanted to take that from you, just as he took you from me."

That should not have turned Tom on, but it did. He didn't give two shits if Augustus fucking Rookwood died tomorrow. He didn't care if he died today. He'd find another Unspeakable to infiltrate the Ministry for him. What he did care about was the fact that Serina would have killed the man just to prove a point. As a ballerina she gave off this persona of a dainty, delicate little flower, when in reality she was hard as nails, cursed like a sailor, and fucked like a pro. 

He half expected her to slap him when he crashed his lips to hers, but she didn't. No, instead she responded with equal fervor. Her teeth dug into his bottom lip and pulled, breaking the skin there and causing blood to ooze out and down his chin. Tom pushed his tongue past her lips, tasting his own blood and forcing the liquid into her mouth. She moaned into his mouth, reaching up and tugging at his shirt, pulling the buttons free from the fabric. He shrugged the bit of clothing off, tossing it aside before reaching up and clamping his hand around her throat. His other reached for the button of her trousers, popping it free, and pulling them down, his nails scraping her skin as he did. Serina tried to moan, but the sound was cut off by his unforgiving grasp on her throat. 

"Take them off," he ordered with a low growl.

He didn't need to be specific, Serina was already kicking her trousers off, and pulling her panties down to meet them on the floor. Tom relinquished his grip just long enough for her to take in a breath of air before clamping his fingers back down. She shuddered underneath him, unable to stop herself as her juices coated her thighs. Her fingers flew to his trousers, unbuttoning them and pulling them down far enough for his cock to spring free. Tom moved forward and ground his hard cock into her stomach, groaning at the friction the movement caused. He dipped down and claimed her lips, releasing her throat in favor of grabbing her thigh and wrenching her leg up to wrap around his waist. 

As soon as he was lined up to her, he plunged into her cunt, burying himself to the hilt. He swallowed her moan, digging his nails into her thigh as he pulled out and slammed back into her. Serina braced herself on his shoulders, and lifted her other leg to wrap around his waist. Tom reached out, grabbing onto her other thigh and holding her in place. He set a brutal pace, pumping into her with a primal need. She met him thrust for thrust, grinding down onto him so his cock could reach as deep as possible. When he hit the spot within her that made white erupt behind her eyelids, she broke the kiss.

"Yes," she hissed, "Fuck. Right there."

Tom picked up the pace, her words fueling him and forcing him to ignore the burn in his legs. He hissed and bucked hard into her when her nails dug into his back. When her walls fluttered around him, he reached up and clamped down hard on her throat, cutting off her moan as she came. The feeling was too much, and only seconds later he was stuttering to a stop, cumming deep within her.

He tried holding them both up, willing his body to stand just a little longer. His knees eventually gave out, and he tumbled to the floor, taking Serina with him. She tried unwrapping her legs and planting her feet on the floor to catch them, but her legs were just as weak as his, and it did them no good. They ended up being a tangled mess of limbs and bodily fluids, panting heavily on the floor of her living room.

"Don't consider this payback," she said breathily, trying to make her voice sound stern, "We're not even, and you're still an arsehole."

Tom nodded groggily, "Yea, I didn't think we were."

Serina slid off of him, grimacing when his cum leaked out of her. Tom rummaged through his pockets until he located his wand, pointing at the two of them to clean them up.

"Thanks," she grunted as she stood to her feet, bracing herself on his shoulder as she did.

She located her trousers and pulled them on, then turned around and offered a hand to Tom, who was still sitting on the floor. He took it, standing as well and pulling his trousers over his hips. Pointing his wand at his shirt, the buttons flew back to their original spots and he tugged that on as well. He ran a hand through his hair, tentatively watching her as she walked through the living room.

"I hadn't expected you to attack him," he said, "Initially, I thought you were flirting with him."

"I hadn't planned on it," she admitted, walking to the kitchen, "I planned on taking a hot shower and seething in peace, but then he asked me to sit on his fucking lap."

Serina walked out of the kitchen with a fresh glass of water in hand. Tom eyed it warily, but she just took a long swig then set it down on the coffee table. She plopped down on the couch, stretching out along the cushions and weaving her fingers behind her head. Tom took his original seat, his eyes never leaving her form.

"I didn't hear that," he told her, "I just looked over and saw you leaning on him."

She smirked, "Yea. He asked me to 'come have a seat' and patted his leg. Honestly, it didn't even have to be him, I would have fucked any one of them up if they said that shit to me."

"Why'd you throw your glass at me?" he asked.

"Because you pissed me off too," she furrowed her brows at him, "That was low, even for you."

"I've been pissed off at you for weeks," he huffed, "I thought it was only fair you get a taste of your own medicine."

"A taste of my own medicine?" she asked, leaning up to better look at him, "How is that giving me a taste of my own medicine? I'm not digging up the past in hopes of getting a rise out of you."

"You brought her over here on purpose," Tom grumbled, "You knew that would upset me."

"I told you why Eva was here," she countered, "and no, I didn't know it would upset you. I didn't even know you were going to be over."

"You can't be upset with me for being jealous," he told her.

"You're right," she agreed, "I can't be upset with you for that. I can be upset with you for thinking bringing Rookwood into my house was adequate revenge."

"What else was I supposed to do?" he snapped, "Just sit back and let you ignore me day after day?"

"You could have told me how you were feeling," she raised her brows at him, "I haven't been ignoring you, Tom. You've made absolutely no attempt to speak to me for weeks. You've just sat there and sulked."

"So you knew I was sulking," he huffed.

"Everyone in fucking London knew you were sulking!" she snapped.

"Then why didn't you say something?" he snapped back.

"Why didn't you?" she argued.

Tom opened his mouth for a rebuttal, but realized he didn't have one, so he shut it. He looked away, having trouble processing things, and having trouble finding a way to say what he wanted to say without sounding like a bloody child.

"I've missed you," he said after several minutes of tense silence.

"And you couldn't tell me that weeks ago?" she asked.

"You wouldn't have understood," he sighed, "I've missed you for years. I've missed you ever since we were in school. You've never missed me. You moved on, expelled me from your mind."

"I had a lot on my plate," she explained, "My dad died. I had to choose between finishing school and finishing a legal battle. By the time everything was said and done, no, you weren't on my mind."

"I still remember the last time I saw you. When you had just found out about your father," he said quietly, "I almost followed you that night."

"I almost asked you to stay the night with me," she admitted, "I didn't want to be alone."

"Why didn't you?" he asked, meeting her eyes.

"That wouldn't have been a good idea," she shook her head.

"Why not?" he asked, standing from his seat.

He knelt down on the couch and made a move to crawl onto her. She lifted her leg and planted her foot on his chest, stopping him before he had the chance to go further.

"Just because I let you fuck me doesn't mean I'm going to let you get away with everything," she growled.

"You can't deny it," he stated, grabbing her ankle and pushing her leg aside, "You can feel it too."

Tom crawled onto her, hovering over her with locked elbows. He looked down at her, searching for something within her eyes.

"There's chemistry between us," he explained, "We were good together."

"Of course we've got chemistry," she rolled her eyes, "That was there before we ever even dated. Just because I looked good hanging on your arm doesn't mean I should do it again."

"Are you saying there's no chance?" he asked, "Not even a sliver of a chance that this could happen again?"

Serina huffed and looked away, "Had you asked me that thirty minutes ago I would have known the answer to that question."

"And now?" he asked, leaning down and brushing his lips along her jawline.

Serina reached up and tangled her hand in his hair. She tugged hard on the strands and pulled him up so she could meet his eyes.

"Now I'm regretting not hitting you with that glass," she growled, baring her teeth at him.

He smirked in response, ignoring the pain in his skull in favor of responding.

"I'd like to do this again sometime," he purred, "I had forgotten how good of a fuck you are."

"So now you just want to fuck me," she rolled her eyes at him.

Serina released his hair, and Tom took the opportunity to dive down and capture her lips in a quick but bruising kiss. 

"I want so much more than that," he whispered, "but I'll settle for a fuck if that's all you're willing to give me."

Hooking her leg around his, Serina rolled Tom off of the couch and pinned him to the floor beside it. Tom didn't struggle underneath her, letting her hold him down as he grinned up at her.

"You won't get anything from me if you think that's all I'm worth," she said.

Tom bit his lip and looked her up and down, well, as best as he could in this position.

"You know I think you're worth far more than that," he purred, "I'd bring the world to it's fucking knees if it made you happy. You're worth everything I can give, and more."

Serina's breath hitched, not expecting that response. Tom had always been a smooth talker, and she had always been immune to it. It had been awhile since he'd tried to seduce her, and she was finding herself falling right into his trap.

"Tell me what I need to do," he said, seeing the opening in her defenses, "Tell me what you want from me and it's yours. You know I'll do whatever it takes. I want you back. Let me have you."

"It's still not a good idea," she said quietly.

"Tell me why it isn't," he ordered.

"Because you cheated on me," she snapped, looking down at him angrily, "I trusted you. I trusted you even when I shouldn't have, and you broke that trust."

Tom frowned, "I made a mistake. It was a long time ago. I'm not that person anymore."

"Are you sure about that?" she asked, "Because you brought Rookwood over here to get back at me. You knew it would hurt me. Did you not think that would come up in this conversation?"

"It's not that. It's just…" Tom said quietly.

"Just what?" she asked, "Did you think I'd forgive you? Give you another chance despite the past?"

"I…" he stumbled.

"Do you want me back?" she asked aggressively.

"Yes," he said firmly.

"Then give me a reason to take you back," she snapped, "Right now I have no reason. I'm completely content where I am in life. I don't need you in my life to make it better."

"Then tell me what I need to do," he huffed, "I can't give you a reason if I don't know what you want."

"For starters," she snapped, "Don't invite Rookwood into my bloody house. Don't sit and sulk when you're upset with me. Talk about it. You're horrible at that."

"Ok," Tom nodded.

"Spend time with me," she continued, "Get to know me. I'm not the same person I was five years ago, and neither are you. Show me who you are. Not who you think I want you to be. I want to know who you are."

"I have been showing you who I am," he huffed.

"No you haven't," she argued, "Until now you've been letting me walk all over you. You've taken every bit of my attitude without hesitation. I'm not an idiot, Tom. I know you're just trying to get on my good side."

"Would you prefer I yell at you?' he asked.

"I'd prefer you do whatever you would do if you weren't trying to suck up to me," she snapped, "If that means yelling at me, then fucking yell at me. Bloody hell Tom. I never expected you to be such a pushover."

"I'm not a pushover," he grumbled.

"I literally have you pinned to the floor right now and you're trying to tell me you're not a pushover," she chuckled.

Tom smiled, seeing the irony in it. 

"Ok," he nodded, "I'll make an attempt to get to know you, and I'll let you get to know me. That is what you're asking for, right?"

"Yes," she nodded, "That, and don't ever let Rookwood in here again."

"Never," he shook his head, "I promise."

"Actions speak louder than words," she told him, "Your promise means very little to me until you show me it should mean more."

"Got it," Tom nodded shortly.

At that moment, the front door opened, and Evan walked in, followed by Walden. Evan's eyes widened as he looked down at the two of them.

"Oh fuck," he cursed, "Did you kill him?"

Serina laughed, realizing that in this position, he wasn't able to see if Tom was moving or not.

"Not yet," she said between the laughter.

Standing up, Serina reached down and offered her hand to the man below her. He took it, and stood up next to her. He ignored the looks from his two followers as he brushed a stray hair from Serina's face, tucking it behind her ear. Serina smirked, and took a step back, putting some distance between the two of them.

"So…" Walden broke the silence.

"What's for dinner?" Serina asked, pretending nothing had happened.

"Umm…" Evan stumbled, still shocked, and a bit confused by what he had walked in on.

"Yea," Serina nodded, "I was thinking that too. I'll get working on the potatoes if you brown up the meat."

Without another word, or any hint of what she was talking about, Serina walked into the kitchen and got to work making dinner.


End file.
